SAINT QUOTE & READINGS OF THE DAY : Monday - September 27, 2021

Monday - September 27, 2021

O Lord, give me the fire that you sent forth when coming on earth. . . .

Enable me to be aflame with the ardor of charity, to glow with the splendor of obedience, and to grow ardent with love. Help me to be saved from destruction amid dangers, to escape all perils, and to hasten toward Your goodness. Grant me to come peacefully into Your presence, to be satiated forever by its manifestation, and to praise You unceasingly for all eternity.

-- Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo

September 27, 2021

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
Lectionary: 455

 

Reading 1                                                     Zec 8:1-8

This word of the LORD of hosts came:

 

    Thus says the LORD of hosts:

 

I am intensely jealous for Zion,

        stirred to jealous wrath for her.

    Thus says the LORD:

I will return to Zion,

    and I will dwell within Jerusalem;

Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,

    and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,

    the holy mountain.

 

Thus says the LORD of hosts:  Old men and old women,

    each with staff in hand because of old age,

    shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.

The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

    Even if this should seem impossible

    in the eyes of the remnant of this people,

    shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,

    says the LORD of hosts?

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

    Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,

    and from the land of the setting sun.

I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.

They shall be my people, and I will be their God,

    with faithfulness and justice.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23

 

R.    (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

 

The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,

    and all the kings of the earth your glory,

When the LORD has rebuilt Zion

    and appeared in his glory;

When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,

    and not despised their prayer.

R.    The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Let this be written for the generation to come,

    and let his future creatures praise the Lord:

“The LORD looked down from his holy height,

    from heaven he beheld the earth,

To hear the groaning of the prisoners,

    to release those doomed to die.”

R.    The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The children of your servants shall abide,

    and their posterity shall continue in your presence.

That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion;

    and his praise, in Jerusalem,

When the peoples gather together,

    and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

R.    The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

 

Alleluia                                                                      Mk 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Son of Man came to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Lk 9:46-50

 

An argument arose among the disciples

about which of them was the greatest.

Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child

and placed it by his side and said to them,

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

For the one who is least among all of you

is the one who is the greatest.”

 

Then John said in reply,

“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name

and we tried to prevent him

because he does not follow in our company.”

Jesus said to him,

“Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

 

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Excluded or Empowered?

I believe that a stranger is just a friend whom I haven't yet met. This idea is based on what Jesus says in today's Gospel reading: "Anyone who is not against you is on your side."

 

How many unknown friends has God given to you and me? They are surprise gifts: the strangers we sit next to in Mass, the neighbors we bump into at the grocery store, the co-workers who disagree with our Church's teachings but are willing to help us do a difficult job, and the odd lady in the church parking lot who doesn't fit our idea of friendship but who greets us with a smile.

 

These are unexpected partners in community, sent by God.

 

The disciples were blinded by pride. They thought they were special because they were Jesus' closest buddies, his chosen ones. In the first part of this scripture, they want to know which among them is the greatest! It was that old attitude of exclusivity -- if you're not one of us, you're not as important, you can't get the same special treatment that I enjoy; you're inferior.

 

Therefore, when someone who was not part of their inner circle took it upon himself to start his own ministry, even though he was honoring Jesus and obviously had faith in Jesus, the disciples not only disapproved, they tried to stop him. Jesus stood up for this man. He approved of this man. He valued this man.

 

Hooray for that guy in not allowing anyone to stop him and for having enough courage to keep on doing what he felt called to do, despite the opinions of those who were being trained in Christ's private School of Apostleship!

 

I'm sure you've experienced it sometimes: You've felt excluded and rejected by those who should have been empowering you and affirming your efforts. So have I. So let's use that hardship to become more empowering of others.

 

Do you know someone who's been told they cannot or should not do something they want to do, even though it's Godly? Is there anything you can do to empower them? Or what about those who have been ignored or rejected because "they're not like us" or they don't have the "right" educational credentials, or they're too young or too old, or they belong to a different church or a different ministry in our own church?

 

Have you been to a parish mission or retreat that was poorly attended because it was preached by a lay person instead of a priest?

 

Have you belonged to a parish where staff or ministry leaders neglect to collaborate with other ministries? Not out of meanness but simply because it has never occurred to them to attempt collaborative projects? Has a parishioner come up with a new way of doing a ministry but his or her idea is not taken seriously because this person is not in a position of authority?

 

We all make assumptions based on limited understandings about the abilities of others. Assumptions can quickly become the sin of judgmentalism, or they can become opportunities for growth and for making changes. Today's passage from Luke begs us to slow down and pay attention and clear out the cobwebs of exclusivity.

 

If you've been the victim of someone's false assumptions, take courage, continue doing what God has gifted you to do and the mission he's given you to do, forgive those who've put up obstacles, and remember that Jesus is standing up for you. He approves of you! He values you! And remember, your calling might be to empower someone else who's been rejected and held back by the false assumptions of others.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Beloved Jesus, I thank You because You dwell in humble and plain hearts. Heal me from everything that isn't innocent any more. Help me to discover the kid in need of You that's inside me and in everybody else.

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God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”